At a Glance

Think you know New York? We invite you to come explore and get to know the whole city. Each day, discover fascinating aspects of each of the five boroughs on educational field trips to meet its people, experience its cultural institutions and explore historic neighborhoods with insider perspectives. Top off your experience with a ride from the inspirational to the sublime, from the rebirth of the Bronx to mansions on the Hudson.

Activity Level

Let's Go!

Walking 5 to 8 miles per day with lots of stairs. Public transportation used exclusively throughout program.

Best of all, you'll ...

Discover the fascinating history and architecture of New York boroughs with narrated walks and illustrated lectures.

Get to know multi-ethnic Queens — the most diverse county in the U.S.

Walk the magnificent Brooklyn Promenade and ride a ferry past the Statue of Liberty to Staten Island.

Featured Expert

All Experts

John Kriskiewicz

John Kriskiewicz, a native New Yorker, is an architectural historian with a professional degree in architecture from Pratt University. He teaches several courses concerning the architectural and planning history of New York City at Parsons School of Design and The Cooper Union. He is the director of history and architecture programs for Discover New York with Kitt Garrett, Inc. John also does research for architectural firms and has written the introduction to the book, "Manhattan Skyscrapers.”

Angela Christensen

John Kriskiewicz

Suggested Reading List

View 15 books

When Harlem Was in Vogue

by David Levering Lewis

World of Our Fathers

by Irving Howe

Water for Gotham: A History

by Gerard T. Koppel

The Epic of New York City

by A. Robb Ellis

Five Points

by Tyler Anbinder

The Rise of New York Port

by Robert Greenhalgh Albion

The Great Bridge

by David McCullough

Fiorello H. La Guardia and the Making of Modern New York

by Thomas Kessner

Downtown: My Manhattan

by Peter Hamill

The Wedding of the Waters: the Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation

by Peter Berstein

722 Miles: The Building of the Subways and How They Transformed New York

Afternoon: Program Registration: 4:00 p.m. After you take your luggage to your room, come to the Road Scholar meeting room at 4:00, usually the Brooklyn Room on the Lower Level, it will be posted on the LED board in the lobby across from the Security Desk. Register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing your name-tag, up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes, and other important information. If your arrival is delayed, please attend orientation and dine afterwards.

Dinner: 5:00pm: Enjoy your first dinner at the Tick Tock Diner, conveniently located off the lobby of the hotel. This restaurant features regional American cuisine, in traditional NJ Diner fashion. If your arrival is delayed ask for the Road Scholar Menu, dinner is still included. Please attend orientation and then eat afterwards or get take out if our orientation is still taking place.

Evening: Orientation: 6:15 p.m. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures including contact numbers for key staff, and answer any questions you may have. Scheduled free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Please be aware that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. After orientation we will take a stroll to the Empire State Building where you can get a bird's eye view of the city that never sleeps.

DAY

2

Introduction To New York, Brooklyn Field Trip

New York

B,L,D

New Yorker Hotel

Breakfast: at 8:00 In our meeting room, have a New York bagel with a schmeer plus other choices including beverages. Please arrive on time with a photo copy of your ID to register for a senior citizen MetroCard if you are 65 or over.

Morning: An architectural historian will give us an introduction to the five boroughs of New York City — the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island — each with its own history, personality, and appeal. We’ll then depart by subway for Brooklyn.

Lunch: At a neighborhood restaurant in Brooklyn Heights.

Afternoon: Our local expert will lead us through a few Brooklyn neighborhoods. Until it was consolidated into the City of New York in 1898, Brooklyn was an independent city. It was founded by the Dutch in 1646 as the village of Breuckelen and grew to become New York’s most ethnically diverse borough with a distinctive blend of cultures that remain to this day. It is also the most most densely populated of all the boroughs. We’ll see the Brooklyn Bridge, one of America’s most significant engineering achievements in the 19th century from Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Promenade. Designed by a German immigrant, John A. Roebling, this magnificent suspension bridge of granite and steel took 14 years to complete (1869-1883), spanning the East River to connect Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Dinner: At a restaurant near the hotel.

Evening: We'll walk to another Manhattan neighborhood with our local expert to see what's most interesting at the time of the program.

DAY

3

Visit Queens

New York

B,L,D

New Yorker Hotel

Breakfast: Hotel plated meal

Morning: We’ll take the “International Express” to one of Queens' diverse neighborhoods. The 7 Line is nicknamed the “International Express” because Queens is the most ethnically diverse county in America.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Next, we’ll visit the site of two world's fairs and the fantastic panorama at the Queens Museum.

Dinner: At a neighborhood restaurant.

Evening: Our Local Expert will take us on a stroll in one of New York’s historic neighborhoods.

DAY

4

Staten Island, Free Time

New York

B,L

New Yorker Hotel

Breakfast: In our meeting room, have a New York bagel with a schmeer plus other choices including beverages

Morning: We’ll travel across the harbor on the Staten Island Ferry and visit the area around the ferry slip including the Lighthouse Museum and Staten Island Borough Hall.

Lunch: Box lunches on the Ferry returning to Manhattan.

Afternoon: FREE AFTERNOON or The Group Leader will walk us to the 9/11 Memorial site. You are welcome to remain and explore on your own, return to the hotel, or catch a show.

Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions

Evening: At leisure.

DAY

5

Manhattan, The Bronx

New York

B,D

New Yorker Hotel

Breakfast: Hotel plated meal.

Morning: We’ll board a private motorcoach and ride to the Upper West Side of Manhattan and Harlem, then continue through the South Bronx to our luncheon neighborhood.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in the Little Italy section of the Bronx.

Afternoon: Our journey continues through The Bronx to Wave Hill with its beautiful botanic garden.

Evening: With our Local Expert, we’ll have an opportunity for another walk in Manhattan.

DAY

6

Lecture-Discussion, Program Concludes

New York

B

Activity note: Hotel check out is noon.

Breakfast: In our meeting room, have a New York bagel with a schmeer plus other choices including beverages

Morning: As a closing highlight, we’ll be joined by a New Yorker who’s in touch with what’s happening in the five boroughs, to lead the group in a lively discussion. The session will end at approximately 10:30 a.m. This concludes our program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Meals

12 Meals

5 Breakfasts

3 Lunches

4 Dinners

The following choices may be available when requested in advance: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Lodging

Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.

This Art Deco masterpiece opened in 1930. All of New York is at your doorstep, across from Madison Square Garden and Penn Station, Macy's and the Empire State Building are just down the street with the Theater District a few minutes walk. The hotel features a business center and a fitness center.

This is a great introduction to NYC. Mike was a welcoming New Yorker whose after dinner walks were one of the highlights of the program. Including the evening walks we walked 7-9 miles/day. The pace was appropriate, but potential attendees should know that we use subways for 80% of our transportation and there are LOTS OF STAIRS.

Great great trip. Best Road Scholar trip I've ever taken - and I have taken too many for an accurate count. Wonderful walks. Saw and learned much new trivia about the Boroughs. Saw a Broadway play in my free time.
The Dominican food restaurant not good. Too dry to my taste. The Chinese food restaurant too oily for my taste - just like being in China. The other ethnic restaurants fine.
Wonderful spacious hotel room!
The lecturers knew their stuff and gave in depth talks! The power points sooo good.

Road Scholar's New York City program, 5 Days/5 Boroughs is an exceptional way to visit New York City, to learn beyond the usual tourist sites. Walking through neighborhoods and eating where locals eat help the participant feel immersed and integrated. Learning about the architecture helps to understand people, history, economics and ethnicities. The guides are from the city and their personal knowledge enriches the program. My very high expectations were far exceeded, and I highly recommend this program.

I just completed Five Boroughs in Five Days in New York City with Road Scholar. The experience far exceeded my expectations. It was educational, challenging and fun, plus it was an excellent value for the money.

Wonderful way to experience NYC beyond Ellis Island, Central Park, Broadway shows and museums. Not that the afore mentioned aren't great but learning about the boroughs and neighborhoods so very interesting.

Growing up in NY is not the same as touring the five boroughs in five days and hearing "The Rest of the Story". I went to learn more about NYC and was very satisfied with all five days.
Janet Siedlecki
New Mexico

As a native of New York State who had moved far away at a young age, I am grateful to have been re-introduced to NYC by a very well informed team of Road Acholar instructors! I no longer feel intimated and hope to return and enjoy the city's magnificent diversity!

This program is wonderful. There is a lot of walking, we averaged 6 miles a day according to my Fitbit , but it is so interesting you can almost forget your feet. I do not exercise much and I could handle it so don't be afraid Be advertious and learn about the 5 boroughs

I highly recommend this program; New York is not only Manhattan!! I truly enjoyed visiting all the other boroughs learning about their history and the ever changing culture and landscape that make New York what it is.

If you are curious about NYC beyond Manhattan, and a hardy or hearty walker, this is the program for you. You don't notice how much you are walking ( 5 to 9 miles per day) because you are listening to cogent and fascinating descriptions of the neighborhoods as you pass through them. You get to enjoy the extensive NY subway system, good local ethnic cuisine, the brashness of Times Square, the bucolic beauty of Riverdale and Wave Hill in the Bronx, the Manhattan skyline from the Brooklyn promenade, the colorfully dressed and fascinating variety of people in Queens, the Statue of Liberty from the serenity of the Staten Island Ferry. You will felel energized and very alive throughout the trip. Sign up!

This is a very well planned trip. The leaders were well informed and did a great job of guiding us around NYC.
Wear good walking shoes and be ready to use them for the next 5 days. If you use a hearing aid you may have problems using the headsets that are provided.

Roadscholar programs are unique and fulfilling because they include
special presentations, tours and commentary, and really good leaders.
Many in our group had travelled with Roadscholar many, many times. Their rave reviews encouraged us to travel with this wonderful organization over and over again. The scope of those trips is very, very varied and worldwide. Can't wait for my next adventure.

This was a GREAT trip! It was very fun and informational. The tour guides were very prepared and eager to teach and guide us. I highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in learning more about NYC-

My husband and I have each been to over 250 Elderhostels, and we recommend this program very highly. It had been recommended to us by Road Scholars in program after program, so we finally headed to NYC and did a theater program with it back-to-back. There is no way we could have experienced the 5 boroughs on our own. Our accommodations were conveniently located near Times Square which permitted attendance at shows in free time.

This Road Scholar adventure was an interesting exploration into the history and development of the five boroughs of NYC. The trip leaders were organized and well-informed. The description says there are up to five miles of walking per day, but according to the devices worn by two members of our group, it was up to seven miles per day, walking at a very fast pace. If you opt for the evening activities, count on more like nine. (In other words, be in good shape and take good walking shoes!)Take advantage of these evening tours if you are able, as they are just as fun and informative as the daytime jaunts. We had wonderful meals at various ethnic restaurants. Don't count on going to the main highlights of NYC, such as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, or the 9/11 Memorial, but you do have some free time to do some of these things. Many people booked theater tickets on our free evening, and you should consider staying a couple of days afterward to see some things that the tour misses.

This was an excellent way to "get to know New York City". Although I had visited the City several times I had not ventured out of Manhattan. By the end of the week I felt very comfortable navigating the subway, which I had been hesitant to do previously. The tour guides and lectures were excellent. Each of them seemed to love the City and wanted us to feel like we had gotten a taste of their neighborhoods. I especially liked the fact that we were able to see the non-tourist areas of the City. Everything about this program is an A+.

If the history, geography and urban development of New York interests you, this is your trip. You will go to the east side, west side, all around the town...on the sidewalks of New York. Be prepared to be on your feet all day, wear sturdy shoes. Just when you think your day is done, there is another great adventure in store.

This Road Scholar adventure was a fascinating exploration into the history and development of the five boroughs of NYC. The trip leaders were organized and well-informed. The description says there are about five miles of walking per day, but if you opt for the evening activities, count on more like nine. (In other words, take good walking shoes!)Take advantage of these evening tours if you are able, as they are just as fun and informative as the daytime jaunts. We had wonderful meals at various ethnic restaurants, and generally there was time to explore the neighborhood area before lunch. You are expected to wear some geeky red hats so everyone can keep track of members of the group, but some people knew this ahead and brought their own cute red hats. It definitely is an advantage to look up if you get away from the group and see some others in red hats. Don't count on going to the main highlights of NYC, such as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, or the 9/11 Memorial, but you do have a free afternoon do one of these things. Many people booked theater tickets on our free evening, and you should consider staying a couple of days afterward to see some things that the tour misses. The tour gave me just enough information to want to return to NYC!!

I attended two Road Scholars trips back to back and really got to see lots of New York city and the 5 bourghs. It was great having so much time in one place and only having to fly once for two programs! What a deal!

Enjoyed my first Road Scholar adventure, met some new people and learned many new things about New York. The only bad thing I would say about the program is eating dinner at 5pm just didn't work for me.

I loved my Road Scholar tour of NYC. It was well organized with a blend of sites to see, experiences to enjoy and neighborhoods to explore. The guides and educational experts were superb. I would recommend Road Scholar to everyone and plan to go on another Road Scholar tour myself